


Right Where I Belong

by Rivulet027



Series: Right Where I Belong [1]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Genre: Drunkenness, F/M, Families of Choice, M/M, Morning After, Women Being Awesome, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-08-12
Updated: 2011-08-11
Packaged: 2017-10-22 13:09:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/238371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A drunken night together leads to something more for both Adam and Dustin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Power Rangers. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
> 
> A/N: Takes place post DT, during OO and before JF. Much love to M14Mouse for the banner. Also much credit to MnR as she helped with the orginal beta and this fic was born from a challenge from her. Also thank you to Serpentine85 for the encouragement.

[   
](http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c245/Rivulet027/?action=view&current=Dustinadambanner.jpg)

Right Where I Belong:

Dustin snuggled closer to the warm body he was wrapped around. Wait…confused Dustin opened his eyes and blinked down at the guy in his bed. Whoa? Wait a minute? Dustin wrinkled his nose. Who was this guy? He’d really had way too much to drink last night. Hey, that was the guy Tommy had introduced him to yesterday, Adam something or other. Dustin nodded to himself and carefully got out of bed so he could go the bathroom and try to figure out what the hell he’d just done. Had the sex even been good? Why could he remember the this is Adam part and not how the sex was? That was just so wrong.

As he washed his hands he yawned and then decided that if he was going to get morning sex, and he like so had to because he like so had to remember how the sex was because like dude if he didn’t remember how the sex was then what was the point? After brushing his teeth he padded into his kitchen, poured a glass of water, and poked around in his medicine drawer until he found the pills that worked really good at getting rid of a hang-over when he forgot to put a bottle of water by the nightstand. He didn’t have a hangover, but then not everyone read Alan Cumming and got good advice on how to avoid hangovers and he so didn’t want Adam waking up and needing to be pampered. Dustin wasn’t sure if he could do pampering.

He padded back into his room, set the water and pills down and then stifled another yawn. Maybe he’d crawl back into bed, Adam had been nice, comfy and warm. He tilted his head and hooked his fingers over the blanket, slowly lowering it and taking Adam in. Dustin licked his lips. Oh, yea, he was keeping Adam in his bed as long as possible. Anyone that lickable had to stay for awhile. Nodding to himself he tucked Adam back in and then poked him.

“Dude, like wake up.” Nothing.

Dustin poked him again, “Duuude!”

Adam mumbled and swatted at him.

“Dude you are like so in my bed, so wake up.”

The covers went over Adam’s head.

Dustin shook his head, “At least wake up and take these.”

He pressed the pills into Adam’s hand, and handed him the glass of water surprised at how compliant a half-awake person could be. He took the still half-full glass of water to the sink and then looked around his kitchen trying to decide if he should get up. Maybe he should do his dishes, he had like five and that was too many. Dirty dishes were just gross. He scratched his stomach. Dirty dishes or snuggling with the lickable man in his bed? Well it was only seven. Decision made Dustin crawled back into bed and snuggled in. Adam sighed and snuggled back against him. Dustin smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek before drifting off.

He woke up a little less then an hour latter, and stretched. He poked Adam in the back. How could he still be asleep? It was eight o’clock in the morning. When he got no response he poked harder, “How are you still asleep? Wake up.”

Adam grumbled at him.

“Dude, I can’t understand you, wake up. You have to like tell me how the sex was cause I can’t remember. Dude…wake up…How was the sex? Was it any good?”

For all his trouble Dustin got a grimace and eyes squinted at him, “Goway”

“It’s my bed, Dude, so you have to wake up and tell me how the sex was.”

Adam blinked at him, looking sleepy and confused, “Wha?”

“Or we could just do it again. Then I’d remember how the sex was.”

“What time is it?”

“Eight, I like so let you sleep in.”

Adam groaned.

“Dude,” Dustin complained with another poke when it looked like Adam was going to nod off again.

“What?” Adam snapped, then his eyes opened and widened, “Oh hell.”

Dustin smiled at him.

“Oh no, no, no. I’m going to kill Tommy!”

Dustin blinked slowly, “Huh? He’s not here, are we going to have sex again are you going to freak out?”

Adam paused at that, confused, “I’m not freaking out.”

“Yes you are,” Dustin informed him, “and it’s not nice. I don’t think I like it.”

“What are you on?” Adam asked stifling a yawn.

Dustin frowned.

Adam blinked and suddenly realized that not only had he had sex with someone he’d just met, but they were both still naked and in bed together. He blushed and looked for an escape, “Where’s um…where’s the bathroom?

“Second door on your left, if you count my door. It’s the only other real door in my apartment.”

“Okay, thanks,” Adam said slowly before he made his way into the bathroom trying to figure out what he’d just done. Dustin? Dustin who he’d just met of all people? How did Tommy know someone that dense? Wait, it was Tommy. Adam shook his head. What the hell had he done? Obviously he just needed to get his clothes, and try to find a nice way to leave. He didn’t want to insult Tommy’s friend, but this just wasn’t him. He didn’t have one night stands, had never had a one night stand before. How drunk had he been last night?

Trying to wake up, Adam splashed water on his face and then froze. He’d already insulted Dustin. Okay, so he’d apologize, explain that he was grumpy first thing in the morning and hadn’t meant it, and try to escape while not thinking about how great the sex had been, mind-boggling good actually and there wasn’t going to be more. No, there would be no more sex, even if it’d been the best sex he’d had in a long time, maybe ever. Adam shook his head, he’d been drunk, it couldn’t have been that good.

Walking back into the bedroom Adam froze in the doorway. Dustin was padding around his room naked, sorting who’s clothes where who’s. Adam looked down when he realized he was standing on his own boxers. As he started to pull them on he turned his head towards the front door taking in the scattered trail of their clothes. Oh he remembered doing that. He wet his lips, he was not going to think about it. Clothes being tossed on the bed caught his attention. He turned back to take in Dustin’s offended look, “Dude, those are your’s, you can leave now.”

“What?” he asked confused.

Dustin glared, and crossed his arms over his chest, “I said leave.”

Oh, oh that was hot. Dustin pissed off was hot.

“Why?”

Dustin opened his mouth then closed it. Adam wondered if he’d self combust when the angry glare turned into an angry pout. Then Dustin was coming towards him ranting, “I’m not on anything! I let you sleep in and I like made sure you wouldn’t have a hang-over. I was even going to cook you breakfast! But no, I’m an idiot and you hate Tommy for introducing us. I don’t care how lickable you are you can’t just….”

Adam couldn’t take it anymore, he cut Dustin off with a kiss. This was bad, he should be running the other way. They hadn’t even been awake in each other’s presence for more than five minutes this morning and Adam was annoyed beyond belief, but Dustin angry and ranting and saying he was lickable…how as he supposed to resist that? With a sinking feeling that he was going to get in way over his head, Adam tumbled them towards the bed and reminded Dustin just how good the sex had been.


	2. Chapter 2

Adam closed his eyes with a smile. He hadn’t figured out what he’d gotten himself into, but for now he was content to drift as Dustin babbled at him. The sex had been as good as he remembered and now with Dustin curled against him he decided he could get used to this.

Dustin poked him, maybe not.

He peeked over at the other young man, took in the curious look and closed his eyes again before he asked, “I missed something, didn’t I?”

He could feel Dustin’s smile against his skin, “Yeah.”

“What was it?” Adam prompted after a moment.

“Oh, um, I asked how long you’ve known Tommy. So like how long, dude?”

Adam smiled, despite the oddness of being asked that question while being naked and in bed he felt strangely comfortable. Wondering why he wasn’t blushing he told Dustin, “Since high school.”

“Dude,” Dustin told him in a way that clearly meant ‘that’s profound’. Adam’s grin widened.

“That must have been like a long time ago.”

Adam’s smile faltered, “It wasn’t that long ago.”

“But he like has his doctorates man. That’d like, I don’t know, take me forever.”

Adam ran a hand over his face trying to decide how to best explain to a non-Ranger the adventure Tommy’d been in when he’d gotten his doctorates, “He…there were special circumstances. I still contest the idea and Hayley helped him.”

“Oh yeah, she like way cool. She might be like smarter than Cam, maybe not, but don’t tell him I said that.Have you met Cam? He and Hayley get going and its like scary, dude. They were working on this computer once and all I could do was hope that stuff was like under warranty.”

Adam waited for a pause, “No.”

“No what dude?” Dustin asked confused.

“I haven’t met Cam, who’s he?”

There was a cut off of a word too quick for Adam to make out, a moment of thought then Dustin was telling him, “A friend, he’s a genius. Really smart.”

“How’d you meet him?”

There was another pause and Adam opened his eyes to take in Dustin’s wrinkled nose, “Um, at school?”

What wasn’t Dustin telling him? Adam closed his eyes again, he was too comfortable and too drowsy to really care at the moment. All he really wanted to do was to go back to sleep.

There was a quick kiss on his shoulder and then Dustin asked, “You’re not going to ask me a like zillion questions about school are you?”

“No.”

“Cause I like did go. I even graduated and everything.”

Adam opened his eyes at that statement. He turned to look at Dustin, “Why wouldn’t I think you ‘graduated and everything’?”

Dustin shrugged and gave him a goofy grin. Adam found himself smiling back. He reached a hand up to touch Dustin’s cheek and eased him closer for a kiss. As Dustin started to pull back Adam found himself caught. Cupping Dustin’s face he told him, “Hey, hold on.”

Dustin looked confused. It was strangely endearing and Adam couldn’t help but smile as he placed a kiss on Dustin’s nose. He brushed his fingers slowly over Dustin’s face as he took in the eyes that had caught his attention in the first place. Why hadn’t he noticed them till now? They were hazel, in an almost golden way, like eyes he would expect to see on a large cat, but here they were staring back at him, watchful. Adam placed another kiss on Dustin’s nose, “I’m sorry.”

“You’re like so confusing me.”

“For earlier, I’m sorry for earlier. I didn’t mean what I said. I’m not the nicest person first thing in the morning.”

“Oh,” Dustin laughed, “You’re like Hunter then, you could’ve said so dude. I’d have let you wake up on your own.”

Adam fought down a wave of jealously. The question as to who Hunter was and why Dustin would know his sleeping habits was none of his business, he hadn’t know Dustin long enough. Still he could resist asking, “Another friend I don’t know?”

Dustin nodded, “Oh, he was mean in the morning. If you didn’t let him sleep in he’d like gripe at you for the rest of the day. It was like horrible man.”

Adam found himself smiling at the short babble. When was the last time he’d smiled this much with someone he’d just met?

Dustin pressed a quick kiss to his lips and crawled over him, “I’ll just let you sleep then.”

“What?”

“You’re practically falling asleep on me Dude, obviously you need to get some.”

Adam couldn’t help but smile again as he struggled to sit up, “I can get up.”

Dustin pushed him back down, kissed Adam’s forehead, then his lips as he stated, “No, I like you in my bed.”

Knowing he wasn’t going to argue with that, and feeling a familiar blush creep up his cheeks Adam snuggled back down with a drowsy, “Thank you.”

“Yep,” Dustin told him as he padded out of his room.

Later, in the shower, Adam blushed again as he thought of the way Dustin had just crawled over him and then pushed him back into bed. The blush turned into a smile at the memory of the way Dustin had bustled him into the shower, amid protests that he could go back to his hotel for such things. Dustin had been adamant though, pointed out the clean towels, found out if he wanted breakfast or lunch and then disappeared. Realizing that arguing with someone who could babble that easily wasn’t going to work Adam had simply taken his shower, dressed in his clothes from the day before, that Dustin had nicely left on the counter, and then wandered into the kitchen.

Dustin was on the phone, “Tor, really stop apologizing. I’m okay, so I got a little more drunk than I should have, but dude you were busy, so was Shane. I’m fine really…I was with Tommy and I’m like all here, one piece…hang on.”

As Dustin caught sight of him he pressed the phone against his shoulder, opened the fridge and grabbed the milk. He smiled at Adam, “See I made breakfast.”

He dropped the milk on the table next to the cereal, “I put the milk next to the cereal, and see breakfast. Do you want toast…I’ve got bread and a toaster. Oh I can make eggs, do you like eggs?”

Adam couldn’t help but smile as Dustin scratched his head, frowned, then put the phone back to his ear, “What Tor? Huh?”

“Cereal’s fine, great even,” Adam reassured as he set himself down to a bowl and Dustin bustled about pulling things out of his fridge.

Dustin smiled at him, then frowned, tilted his head and said, “Dude like yeah I have someone over and no it’s not George. I may be clueless sometimes, but I’m not stupid…Yeah…huh? MmmHmm…okay, see you tomorrow then? No, I have someone over and I’m seeing you tomorrow. Yeah…Yeah…okay, bye Tor.”

Dustin hung up his phone, apologized and finished piecing together his sandwich before he flopped down in the seat across from Adam. Without missing a beat he asked, “Dude, like why are you staying in a hotel, aren’t you in town visiting Tommy?”

“I could have stayed with him and Hayley,” Adam pointed out, “but Kaley isn’t sleeping through the night yet, so I thought it’d just be easier to get a hotel room.”

“Huh, yeah I guess being waken up by a screaming baby wouldn’t be like the nicest thing to deal with on vacation,” Dustin told him before starting on his sandwich.

Adam nodded, “It’s why he left last night. Hayley called, wanted him home, apparently Kaley was driving her insane or something, not really sure.”

Dustin finished his bite of food before he told Adam, “Sometime Hayley can get her back to sleep, but if she really gets going Tommy has to sing to her.”

Adam shook his head, “Really?”

Dustin shrugged, “Only thing that works apparently. They tried it over the phone once, but it doesn’t work. He has to hold her and sing to her.”

Adam shook his head again, that poor child was going to end up so tone deaf.

“Dude, have you ever heard him sing? It’s like awful.”

Adam smiled into his cereal and took another bite as Dustin launched into a full description of which of his friends could carry a tune. When he slowed to ask Adam about himself, Adam told him, “I do okay.”

Dustin nodded as he polished off his sandwich and began to put things away. Adam finished up his cereal, poured himself a glass of juice and was almost about to take a drink when Dustin told him that he didn’t have to stay in a hotel if he didn’t want to. Adam set the glass down, thankful that he hadn’t taken a drink yet. Stay with the guy he’d just met for the rest of the week?

Dustin blushed at the way Adam was staring at him. He stared at his shoes, “I mean like the couch folds out if you don’t want to sleep with me again, but like why waste all that money if you don’t have to?”

“Yes,” Adam found himself agreeing while he was mostly memorized with the way Dustin looked while blushing. His agreement had Dustin smiling at him and Adam found himself smiling back without meaning to.

Then it hit him, what he’d just agreed to. Adam grabbed his drink, so he’d have an excuse to look away. He’d just met Dustin, barely knew him, barely knew anything about him except that he wanted to have sex with him again. Okay, Adam told himself, obviously Dustin was a nice person, he was a friend of a friend, so it wasn’t like he’d just agreed to something insane. Right? How was he going to explain this to Tommy?


	3. Chapter 3

Tommy had a smirk on his face. Adam frowned as Dustin whisked past him towards the baby. After proclaiming her the cutest thing in the world, and being cooed at, Dustin picked her up, carrier and all, and decided that they both needed some fresh air. Neither Adam nor Tommy had been able to get a word in edgewise and he was gone. They both took in his retreating form.

“So…” Tommy prodded as he wandered back towards the stove to frown at the spaghetti and sauce he was cooking. He peeked into the oven.

Adam dropped down into a chair at the breakfast bar, “So, um…”

Tommy started laughing, “Oh man, you are bright red.”

“I am not,” Adam protested.

“Yes, you are. Something you want to tell me?”

Adam lowered his eyes staring at his hands. How did he explain what had happened last night and this morning?

“Come on,” Tommy told him, “I already got chewed out last night for not getting you two separate cabs.”

“What?” Adam asked confused as he looked at his friend.

Tommy shrugged, “Hey, I married Hayley because she just knows these things before I do.”

“Among other reasons?”

Tommy smiled, “Can’t reveal all her secrets.”

“Oh, and you know all her secrets?”

“I knew enough to marry her.”

Adam laughed, “So what has Hayley figured out now?”

“Oh no, you were bright red. You came in with Dustin and I’m thinking that if his bike is parked outside there are two helmets on it. And since you’re not wearing the same clothes you were yesterday it means that you came together.”

“Um…” Adam trailed off, then in an attempt to divert the conversation asked, “How does a guy not own a car?”

“He has a motorcycle and friends who drive him,” Tommy answered.

“Even when it’s raining and you’re at work?”

“The elementary school is right near the high school,” Tommy told him.

“Okay, now you’ve lost me.”

Tommy smiled, “Dustin teaches kindergarten and you’re avoiding. Something you want to tell me?”

Adam peeked out the window and took in Dustin sitting under a nearby tree, cradling Kaley and talking to her. He was falling for a kindergarten teacher. He smiled. He glanced back at Tommy who was smirking again.

“What?” he asked trying to looking innocent.

Tommy raised an eyebrow.

“I’m blushing again aren’t I?” Adam groaned.

Tommy nodded.

Adam buried his head in his hands, “You’re going to kill me aren’t you?”

The phone rang, Tommy answered as he moved back towards the stove. He frowned at one of the pots on the stove as he listened into the phone. He poked the pot in annoyance.

“Conner’s going to watch them,” Tommy said into the phone, “Well he agreed. Hayley was hoping we’d have the Dino Powers up and running again by the time the Abyss of Evil opened again, but she’s hit a snag and it doesn’t look like it’ll get done.”

“It’s Rocky,” Tommy paused to tell Adam.

“No, it’ll be Zeo, then TJ and Justin as Turbo and Ninja Storm. Oh and I’ve talked to Dana from Lightspeed and both she and Aisha are going to be on hand as paramedics...In case anything happens…Yeah…Well several of the techs have gotten together and come up with devices that should trap the bad guys that the Abyss ejects so we won’t have to do this again in a few years…No, I’ll introduce you to Conner beforehand and I think he’s talking Ethan into helping…Hey, you’ve got Bobby to worry about, if you don’t think this is…If you need to sit this one out I’m sure we can handle it…I’m not a single Dad, Kaley would’ve Hayley if anything happened to me…No it’s a few months from now. As soon as they calculate an exact date I’ll let you know, but you don’t…yeah, I know, sitting it out doesn’t feel right to me either…She what?”

Adam frowned wondering what Jill had done to Rocky now. It was bad enough that a month after having a child with him she’d bailed on him, he really hoped she hadn’t added more complications to his life.

He glanced out the window again to see Dustin putting Kaley back into her carrier all the while making faces at her. He found himself smiling at the goofy looks Dustin was giving the baby when he felt a tapping on his shoulder. He glanced up at Tommy who held out the phone, one hand covering the speaker, “Talk some sense into him. Tell him to listen to Jill’s mom.”

Confused Adam took the phone, “Hi, Rocky.”

“Hi,” Rocky greeted back and that one word had Adam worried. Rocky sounded worn out. Adam wet his lips, maybe he shouldn’t have let Rocky talk him about of dropping everything and helping out when Jill had left.

“How are things?” Adam stalled as he considered how long it would take him to drop his plans with Aisha to pack up his apartment next week. He was sure he could hire movers and that Aisha would understand them not spending the time together. Even if he could get Aisha to hide anything that might reveal his past he didn’t want strangers going through his things, but if Rocky needed help then he’d just have to put up with it.

“Okay, I’m good.”

“You don’t sound good.”

Rocky laughed, “I’m fine Adam. Don’t you dare change any of your plans. I’ll see you in a few weeks when you move back here. I’ve got more than enough help with my parents, Rachel, Aisha’s parents, your parents…the list goes on dude, so stop worrying. Jason and Kim are over here nearly every other day, and you wouldn’t believe this gift box Kat sent me. It’s insane. I’m not going to have to buy diapers for awhile.”

“Then why do you sound exhausted?”

That was a stupid question, Adam told himself. Rocky was trying to take care of a baby on his own, of course he was exhausted.

“I’ve been trying to convince Rachel that I don’t need to apply for full custody of Bobby,” Rocky told him.

“Who’s Rachel?”

“Jill’s mom.”

Adam took a moment to process, before he said, “Rocky, if Jill’s mom is telling you that you need to make sure her daughter doesn’t have any custody when it comes to Bobby then I think you should listen to her.”

“She just couldn’t handle it,” Rocky defended.

“She left without a word or a note, just dropped Bobby off at your parents and skipped town. She only got a hold of her mother three days after she left and you guys were already in a panic,” Adam reminded as calmly as he could. He been visiting his parents when Jill had left and he never wanted to see Rocky that scared ever again.

“She was drunk when she called too,” Rocky added his voice going flat and apathetic.

“Yeah,” Adam said carefully before he asked gently, “Is that the kind of woman you want raising your child?”

“I…I don’t know, okay? I’ve been so busy that it’s been hard to even deal.”

“It’s been two months,” Adam reminded, “I know you’re busy and if you want I can…”

“No,” Rocky told him, “you finally got a vacation and trust me once you and Jason open this dojo you’ll be busy. You deserve this vacation and I’m not letting me be a reason that you don’t enjoy it. You’ll probably be lucky to get time off to fight these alien creatures that Tommy says are going to be ejected by that Abyss of Evil thing.”

“I think it was Hayley who said that.”

“Yeah well it’s Tommy making sure a team is put together, and that we have babysitters. Who’d have thought we’d be suiting up while some of us need babysitters?”

“Well I don’t need one.”

“Give it a few years,” Rocky told him.

Adam laughed, “So I’ll see you in a about two weeks?”

“Yep.”

“Want me to give you back to Tommy?”

“Nah, man, he’ll just try and tell me to listen to Rachel again.”

“I’m telling you to listen to her again.”

“I’ll think about it,” Rocky told him.

“You do that.”

“Bye.”

“Bye,” Adam said as he hung up the phone. As he put it back into the receiver he took in Tommy standing in front of the now set up dining room table with a frown on his face. Tommy turned and looked at him with confusion.

“What?” he asked.

“Hayley’s right, right?” Tommy asked.

“You’re going to have to explain what Hayley’s supposed to be right about in the first place.”

“Well I know you’re staying for dinner. I know Conner is coming over for dinner, but is Dustin? I mean I have enough food cooking if he does because I assumed Hayley was right and that you two…you two did right?”

“You’re trying to make me blush again.”

“Nah,” Tommy said shaking his head, “I’m second guessing my place settings. So...”

“Yes, Hayley was right. Is that okay with you?”

Tommy shrugged, “Why wouldn’t it be? I mean, it’s Dustin. He’s a good guy, you’re a good guy and he’s just starting to get over that jerk, so I’m cool.”

Jerk? What jerk?

“George?” Adam guessed.

“Yep, now he wasn’t a good guy.”

They both turned at a strange noise that sounded like a half shriek half laugh to see that Conner had Dustin over his shoulder and was spinning them both around all while saying something. Abruptly Conner put Dustin down. Dustin swayed and shook his head. Conner grabbed up Kaley in her carrier and gave Dustin a shove towards the house. Moments later they tumbled inside. Kaley was quickly set up on the breakfast bar while Dustin gave Adam a quick hug and then headed towards the stove.

“This have anything in it?” Dustin asked as he peeked at the sauce.

“Hi, Dr. O and um Dr. O’s friend,” Conner greeted.

“No, I figured you’d add some things,” Tommy told Dustin before rolling eyes, “Conner you met Adam at my wedding.”

“Dude, there were a lot of people at your wedding.”

Tommy shrugged, “You still met Adam.”

Dustin paused in taking things from the spice rack. He tilted his head at Adam, “You were at Tommy’s wedding?”

“I was in the wedding party.” Adam answered.

“Dude, I like thought you looked familiar,” Dustin smiled before he grabbed up the spices, took a spoon from the drawer and set about spicing up the sauce.

Adam frowned. Dustin had been at Tommy’s wedding? Well Conner was right, there had been a lot of people and he’d spent most of the night hanging out with Rocky and Aisha so it wasn’t like he’d gone about looking to meet new people.

“Are you staying for dinner?” Tommy asked as Dustin was putting the spices away.

“I…” Dustin frowned scratching his head before he turned to Adam, “Hey dude, are you staying for dinner?”

“Yeah.”

“Yep, I’m staying,” Dustin told Tommy before he frowned then patted at his side pockets. He tilted his head towards Conner, “Dude I think you made me drop my phone.”

With those words Dustin was out the door again. Conner looked to where Dustin had disappeared, then to Adam, then back to the door.

“Dude,” Conner finally managed as if that one word somehow explained the gravity of what he suspected.

Conner shook himself and took off after Dustin declaring loudly, “Dude you can’t indicate gossip like that and just walk away!”

Adam remained quiet until the door closed. He turned to Tommy, who only shook his head and said, “It’s normal.”

“So,” Adam ventured, “have they met Rocky?”

Tommy’s eyes widened, then with a groan he sank into a chair and dropped his head onto the breakfast bar. Adam poked him and in concern asked his name. Tommy waved him off and without lifting his head said, “If we’re careful they never will.”

Adam sat down next to Tommy, “Careful?”

Tommy looked up nodding before he went and grabbed another plate for the table, “All three of them were at my wedding and didn’t meet. It’s doable.”

Adam smiled, that would explain why he hadn’t met Dustin before last night.

Hayley walked in. As she carefully took Kaley from her carrier she asked, “What have those two done now?”

“Dustin lost his phone.”

Hayley sighed, before she opened the sliding glass door and told Dustin, “Check you’re lower left pant leg, the one with the zipper.”

Dustin unzipped his pants pocket and pulled out his cell with a grin.

“Now put it back,” Hayley instructed before she closed the door and accepted a kiss from Tommy, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Tommy greeted back, “I’m a wonderful husband, I made dinner.”

Suddenly a timer went off at the same time that the pot began to boil over. As Tommy rushed over to the stove Adam and Hayley greeted one another.


	4. Chapter 4

Dustin stared out at the waves crashing against the shore. He smiled as Tori sat down on the grass beside him. She gave him a playful shove on the shoulder before she hugged her knees and stared out at the water as well.

“You always come back here,” she commented, “Why?”

Dustin shrugged, “It’s a great view.”

“It’s the place where Lothor tricked us,” she pointed out.

“T, just cause something bad happened here, doesn’t mean it’s a bad place.”

Tori regarded him a moment before she asked, “Then why don’t you come back? Why do you stay in Reefside?”

“Like starting early today, huh?”

She frowned and looked back out at the waves, “No, I’m just worried about you.”

“Hey I can take care of myself,” he attempted to reassure with a goofy grin.

Tori looked over and raised an eyebrow.

“I got through college and have been teaching for like a whole year,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, and Cam reprogrammed your phone to keep you from forgetting anything.”

Dustin nodded, “It’s good to have a tech.”

Tori rolled her eyes, then frowned.

“What?”

“I’m sorry about this weekend,” she started as she sat up, “If I’d just checked with Shane…”

“Hey,” Dustin interrupted, “I thought we were over this apologizing thing. I’m good, still here, all in one piece.”

“But one of us always spends Friday night with you,” Tori pointed out, “and then we all went and made plans assuming that…”

“T, stop. I hung out with Tommy after I left my Mom’s and I’m fine.”

“Does he know?”

“Huh?”

“Does he know about what a bitch your Mom is?” Tori asked.

“Who?”

“Dr. O.”

“Dude he like wants you guys to start calling him Tommy,” Dustin pointed out.

“That’s not answering my question.”

“Why would he? He’d just back you guys,” Dustin looked away from her to stare back out at the ocean, “It’s stupid Tor. She’s my Mom, the least I can do is some cleaning and shopping for her.”

“Not when she doesn’t appreciate it! Not when she makes you feel like crap every week,” Tori told him with a scowl.

“Dude, can we like change the subject?”

“Fine,” Tori scowled as she hugged her knees, “Was it because of what Lothor did or the students?”

“Dude?” Dustin question as he moved a hand over his head to indicate she’d lost him.

“Why you left?” Tori elaborated with a hint of a smile and a roll of her eyes.

Dustin shrugged again, “I wasn’t a good sensei, so I went and learned how to teach.”

Tori eyes narrowed, “Then it was the students. Eric, Kyle, Tallee. Their being expelled wasn’t your fault.”

Dustin gave her a wistful smile, “But if I’d taught them better, maybe…”

“No, Eric was your only student, the other tested into different elements. Dustin, they just weren’t mature enough to handle ninja school.”

“See I think that’s where you’re wrong. I mean if I’d hurt a teacher…”

“If you hadn’t stopped that prank Avery would’ve had more than a broken arm and if one of your sensei’s was at your feet not moving because of something you pulled you’d have gotten help, not stood there and debated what to do.”

“Tor, don’t,” he begged.

“No Dustin. By the time Cam walked in on the situation you were going into shock!”

Dustin reached out and touched her arm, “I’m still here.”

“But if Cam hadn’t wheedled it out of them, if he hadn’t yelled them into action…”

“Maybe we should’ve had this conversation a long time ago,” Dustin attempted to defuse as he wrapped his arms around her.

She returned the hug even as she asked, “When? By the time you were back up to speed, Lothor’d tricked us and then you were leaving.”

Dustin pulled back and frowned, “You have your own thing too, outside of the Academy. A real life in the real world.”

“I still teach,” she pointed out.

“I do too, just in a different way,” he tried and then before she could rebut his statement he admitted, “I needed to learn some things.”

“Things you couldn’t learn at ninja school?”

Dustin smiled, “Yeah, Sensei should’ve warned us that even if you become a sensei you never stop needing to like learn stuff.”

Tori shook her head with a smile, “You should come back.”

“I have a life in Reefside.”

“There are students who still ask for you to teach again.”

Dustin frowned for a moment before he brightened and laughed. He gave her a shove, “Quit teasing.”

“I’m not.”

Dustin sank his fingers into the earth, he didn’t want to talk about his brief stint as a sensei at the Wind Ninja Academy. He was tempted to tell her that Sensei had asked to speak to him before he left and he suspected it had something to do with him teaching a class, at least for the summer. He tilted his head towards her and changed the subject, “How was Hunter and Cam’s first date?”

Tori stared at him silently.

“What? Oh man, don’t tell me it was that bad.”

“I didn’t think you knew about that, are you okay?”

Dustin started to wave his hand for emphasis and Tori wrinkled her nose as dirt hit her uniform, “Oh man sorry.”

Tori laughed.

Dustin smiled, “Hunter and I were a long time ago, and they like both asked me if I was okay with it before they even tried to go on a date, so I’m like invested here. How’d it go?”

Tori smiled and shook her head, “Pretty good from what I heard.”

Dustin nodded, “Good.”

“Speaking of new guys,” Tori segued.

Shane showed up at that moment and dropped down beside them, “Sorry, my class ran over, so what are we talking about?”

“Dustin’s new guy?”

“You have a new guy?” Shane asked even as Dustin made exasperated noises of protest.

“I like do not.”

“You’d had someone over when I talked to you,” Tori pointed out.

Shane nodded, “Yep, new guy.”

“That doesn’t…it’s not,” Dustin tried, “It’s just sex.”

Tori and Shane exchanged glances over his head before Shane pointed out, “Bro, you don’t do just sex.”

“I do s…” Dustin broke off as he took in the look Shane was giving him, “Okay, okay, Dude, so like I don’t, but it like so is.”

“Do you buy that, Tori?” Shane asked.

“Not for a moment,” Tori responded.

“He’s a friend of Tommy’s?”

“And that’s supposed to reassure us how?” Tori asked.

“Hayley likes him?” Dustin tried.

Shane tapped his chin, “Getting warmer bro, this guy got a name?”

“Adam.”

Tori raised an eyebrow, “You were going to try and convince us it ‘just sex’ when you say his name like that?”

“Huh?” Dustin asked, nose wrinkling in confusion.

Tori rolled her eyes, “So what he’s like?”

Dustin blinked at her. Saying ‘lickable’ probably was just going to get groans from the two of them. He shrugged and told them, “Um, he’s nice.”

“Nice?” Shane asked.

Dustin scratched his head, “Yeah, nice. He’s been living in L.A. but now he’s moving to Angel Grove to open a dojo.”

“Have you sparred with him?” Shane asked suddenly interested.

“Nah, he’s on vacation dude. How would I explain where I learned?”

“Good point,” Shane nodded.

“You took lessons,” Tori pointed out, “long before we were accepted to the Academy.”

Dustin shrugged, “It hasn’t come up. Hey, we’re going to the zoo tomorrow.”

“The zoo?” Tori asked.

“Yeah, Tommy and Hayley are going to pick us up and then we’ll like spend the whole day showing Kaley the animals,” Dustin smiled. His smile faltered when he noticed the confused looks they were giving him.

“Pick you up?” Shane asked cautiously, “As in stop at wherever he’s staying and then get you?”

With a sinking feeling Dustin told them, “Nah, just my place.”

“You moved someone in after only one night?” Tori shrieked, “That’s a new level of…Dustin!”

Dustin looked to Shane for help.

“Don’t even, Bro” Shane warned, “I’m with Tori on this one.”

Dustin flopped onto his back with a groan.

Adam eyed his cell phone wearily as it jittered its way across Dustin’s coffee table. Taking a deep breath he picked it up, checked the number, and greeted, “Hi Tanya.”

“Hi,” she greeted back brightly.

“Hi,” he repeated warily.

“So I just got off the phone with Aisha,” she told him.

Adam groaned and flopped back into the cushions of the couch, “I don’t need a lecture from you too.”

She laughed, “So what he’s like?”

Adam smiled as he tried to think of how to describe Dustin, “You mean other than a complete airhead?”

Tanya laughed again, “Is he hot?”

“What do you think?”

“Of course. So what’s his name?”

“You mean Aisha didn’t rant it at you?” Adam asked with a frown as he thought back on the verbal lashing his friend had given him.

“Hey,” Tanya tried to sooth, “she’s just worried about you.”

“I could tell,” Adam said dryly.

Tanya sighed, “She’s not ready to lose you yet.”

“What do you mean?” Adam asked confused.

“You guys have been inseparable in L.A. and now you’re moving. She’s being supportive, but that doesn’t mean she’s not going to miss you horribly.”

“So being mad at me about Dustin is her way of saying she’ll miss me?”

He frowned when Tanya hesitated.

“Yeah, something like that,” Tanya told him, “Also, this is kinda sudden.”

Adam agreed as he moved off the couch. He ran a hand through his hair, agitated and wanting to know how to explain his growing feelings for Dustin. Had he even known Dustin long enough to have growing feelings for him?

“Wait,” Tanya said, “Dustin? Is he a friend of Tommy’s and was at his wedding?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh!”

“Oh?” Adam asked.

“He’s sweet.”

“Sweet? You’ve met him?”

“At the wedding. I think I’m going to have to disagree with Aisha now and approve.”

“I have your approval?” Adam asked with a laugh as he started to look around Dustin’s apartment.

“Yellow’s his favorite color.”

“I can tell.”

Tanya laughed, “Well you always did seem to get along best with yellows.”

“What does that make Rocky?” Adam asked as he began to look over Dustin’s shelves. There were a handful of second and third place motocross trophies along with several pictures.

“A future male yellow?”

Adam paused, smiled and laughed at the image, “Yeah right.”

“You don’t think Rocky could pull off yellow?”

“More I’m not sure he has the attitude for it,” Adam countered as he spotted a first place trophy. He reached around the other trophies and picture it was buried behind and pulled it forward. He frowned when he realized Dustin’s name wasn’t on it. Who was Hunter Bradley? It had to be the Hunter Dustin was talking about earlier. They must have had a relationship at some point. He tried to shake off the wave of jealousy and focus on what Tanya was saying. He smiled, at least she agreed with him, yellow would be a bad color for Rocky and besides as far as they knew all yellows were female.

“Well except for Tideus, but he was from Aquitar,” Adam concluded.

He put the trophy back and picked up the picture. A dark haired young man and a blonde woman had Dustin in the middle of them and all three were smiling. He set the picture down, his eyes sweeping over the others on the shelf.

“Well a human male yellow would be cool.”

Adam laughed, “Yeah, that’d be something, though I doubt any yellow will ever match you or Aisha in terms of attitude.”

He could hear the smile in Tanya’s voice, “Have you ever met Taylor?”

“No, Taylor, she’s um…?”

“Wildforce.”

“Come on Tanya, you know I pretty much stopped keeping up after the Astro Rangers. I don’t even know what this Ninja Storm team that Tommy has us fighting with is like.”

“You know Dino Thunder,” she pointed out.

“Only cause Tommy mentored them and even then not that well. Conner, their red, didn’t even know what my name was yesterday.”

“Mmm, but he does know how to dance. Though I’ll have to say Dustin’s better, just don’t tell Conner I said so.”

“Wedding right?” Adam asked as he picked up another framed photo, it had the same two people with Dustin as the one before and three others.

“Right in one, Tommy asked me to help keep him and Dustin away from Rocky. It was fun.”

Adam set the photo down with a laugh, “And I was with Rocky all night which would explain why I didn’t really met either before.”

“So you missed the opportunity for instant sparkage, which is probably for the best. He had a date.”

“Yeah?”

“Someone is falling,” she was smirking, Adam could tell by the tone in her voice.

“Why would you think that? I haven’t even known him that long.”

“That hint of jealousy in your tone when I mentioned his date. He was cute too, blonde, and managed to pull off the dark red in his suit rather well. Not overly polite, had this kinda broody look to him, but he could pull it off.”

Adam’s eyes found the picture he’d just put down and he inspected the young blonde man who had an arm draped over Dustin more closely. He shook his head with a smile and complained, “Tanya.”

“What? I’m just sitting here having way too much fun imaging that cute moody look on your face.”

“You do this to me on purpose,” he groaned as he flopped back down on the couch.

“Blush?”

“You’d think I’d have gotten rid of it by now,” he groused.

“Nah, you wouldn’t quite be Adam if we couldn’t get you to blush for us,” she teased, “Besides I don’t think they were together, more that they’d just decided to be each other’s date for the night.”

“Really?” he laughed, then told her, “Thank you.”

“And just what am I being thanked for?”

“I’m in a much better mood now,” he admitted.

“You’re welcome. And Adam?”

“Yeah?”

He sat up at the concern in her tone, “Don’t over think this okay? You’re on vacation, having a good time and if something comes of this then something comes of this, just…you know what I mean.”

He smiled, “Yeah I do, I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask. Talk to you later?”

“Later sounds good.”

“Great, I’ll be prying details out of you I’m sure and call me if you and Aisha get into it again. Cause you get no where when you don’t vent.”

“I don’t remember venting.”

“That’ll come later,” she promised.

“Bye,” he laughed.

“Bye.”

He shook his head as he closed his phone and returned it to the coffee table. He looked around the room again trying to decide what bothered him about it. He thought back to his apartment, things that would need to be boxed up and moved soon. He sat up with a frown and began looking over the pictures again. Dustin seemed to have a thing for them, they were on the walls, the shelves. Most of them had a combination of the same six people in them, a lot of them were the dark haired young man and blonde with Dustin and others had Tommy and Hayley in them. One even reminded Adam of the old team photos he had and this one had who Adam recognized as the Dino Thunder team, with the six other people and an older distinguished looking gentlemen. He glanced over all the photos again and wondered where the family photos were. He understood how friends could become family, but where was a picture of Dustin with his parents or siblings? Did Dustin even have siblings?

Adam sank back down, the good feelings from his phone call with Tanya gone, as he realized how very little he knew about Dustin. Where had he grown up? What had made him want to become a teacher?

He took a deep breath and reminded himself that Tommy had referred to Dustin as a ‘good guy’ so there was no reason to feel like he was in over his head. He was still trying to tell himself this when Dustin opened the front door looking as weary as he felt.

“Hey dude,” Dustin told him dully before dropping down on the couch next to him.

“Hi,” he greeted with a smile which caused Dustin to smile back and snuggle close to him. He wrapped an arm around the younger man and asked, “That bad?”

“Oh man, you like wouldn’t believe my friends today.”

Adam laughed, “Been there today too.”

“Get chewed out?”

Adam nodded.

“Okay, me too,” Dustin said as he began to play with Adam’s belt loops. They lapsed into silence.

Dustin paused, turned and asked in a worried tone, “So like um you’re not like straight are you? Or evil?”

“What?”

“Well I’ve like dated a guy who like declared that he was straight the whole time, it like sucked, dude. But like I’ve also dated girls who decided they were gay, or evil,” Dustin explained.

Adam wasn’t quite sure where to start. He stared down at Dustin, took in the earnestness in those eyes. Oh those eyes were beautiful, he almost allowed himself to become distracted by them, but he forced himself to focus, “You dated a girl who decided she was evil?”

Dustin bit his lower lip and frowned, “Yeah, no…wait, it was like this whole big thing. And I like kinda didn’t really date her, more like trusted her and could’ve seen dating her, but then she was all ‘I’m evil, you’re a moron’ and well why put up with that?”

“But you put up with a guy saying he was straight?”

“It wasn’t one of my brighter moments and it wasn’t for very long. You’re like not, are you dude?”

Adam leaned in and kissed Dustin, drawing it out, he closed his eyes and let himself become lost in the sensation for a moment before he pulled away and told him, “No, I’m not.”

He let his forehead rest against Dustin’s, as he waited for open eyes to meet his before he asked, “What about you?”

Dustin smiled, “I date whoever dude, why should I care what gender they are?”

Adam smiled back, kissed him again and tried to decide what he wanted to know first, “So, evil?”

“Yeah, but she’s not anymore,” Dustin reassured as he snuggled back down against Adam’s shoulder and Adam tightened his hold on him, “We’re friends now. I think she wanted more, but well um there were um things and it would’ve been too weird.”

“Evil as in…?” Adam trailed off not quite sure how to phrase the question to someone who might have a completely different definition of evil then him.

“Oh, she worked for Lothor.”

“Lothor?”

“Evil Space Ninja Dude, wreaked havoc all over Blue Bay Harbor before the Power Rangers kicked his evil butt,” Dustin told him.

Adam blinked, looked down at Dustin and pulled him closer, so maybe their definition of evil was exactly the same.

“Been there too,” he admitted.

“Blue Bay Harbor?” Dustin asked confused looking up at him

“No, interested in the girl who turned out to be evil,” he smiled before he leaned down and gave him another kiss.

“Really?” Dustin asked when they parted.

“Grew up in Angel Grove, remember?”

“Oh yeah, Dude there were tons more bad guys having to be dealt with there then Blue Bay Harbor, at least we only had Lothor. I mean he was like a scary dude, but at least he was just one dude.”

Adam laughed, “Yeah, at least he was just one guy.”

They lapsed into silence for a moment before Adam informed him, “You know you have a first place trophy with the name Hunter Bradley on it?”

Adam wished he could take back the words as soon as they were uttered. Why had he said that?

Dustin sat up, “Dude, where?”

Dustin snatched up the trophy when Adam pointed out the correct shelf. He stared at it a moment, confusion evident on his face, “How did I miss this? I’ve moved more than once since we lived together and that was like three no two years ago.”

Dustin deposited the trophy on his coffee table and dropped back down next to Adam, “That’s just like weird.”

Adam laughed, the indignant look on Dustin’s face made him no longer regret pointing out the trophy.

Dustin poked the trophy with a frown then shrugged his shoulders, “I’ll just like call him after we get back from the zoo and be all dude come pick up your trophy. Besides it’ll like let me gloat, he finally asked Cam out and they finally went on a date and according to gossip it went well.”

Adam smiled and shook his head, wondering how to ask his question about family. Dustin started to snuggle back down against him, but sat up quickly, “Oh!”

“Oh?”

Dustin grabbed the picture that reminded Adam of his old team photos and sat down, “These are my friends. Tommy you know, and that’s well um Cam’s dad. That’s Cam, that’s Hunter and his brother Blake, they’re like adopted, Dude, so that’s why they like don’t look alike. That’s Tori and Shane, they’re my best friends.”

When Dustin paused Adam pointed to Conner, “And that’s Conner.”

“Yep, and right next to him is Ethan, then there’s Kira and right next to Kira is Trent.”

“I’ve met Ethan and Trent, but not Kira,” Adam told him.

“Oh, well she’s like really busy trying to become a singer.”

“Yeah? I have a friend who’s a singer, just got off the phone with her actually. Tanya Sloan?”

“Oh, cool,” Dustin smiled, “She’s good.”

“Yeah, she is,” Adam smiled and nearly asked Dustin about his taste in music, wondering if they had anything in common there, but he had to know about his family, “Dustin, why aren’t there any family photos. I mean, you have a lot of your friends, but none of your parents or siblings.”

“Do you have brothers or sisters?” Dustin asked as he set his picture down on the coffee table next to the trophy.

“Only child.”

Dustin nodded, then frowned, “I…it’s complicated. My dad comes in about once a year, we pretend we’re best friends and then he like just leaves.”

Adam frowned, concerned at the sudden shift to melancholy. Up until he asked Dustin had been upbeat with an easy smile, but not now. Adam reached out and pulled him back towards him, “And your mom?”

“Let’s just like not go there Dude, okay?”

“Sure,” Adam told him uncertainty in his voice.

“Sometimes we get along, other times we like don’t.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just used to being really close to my family,” Adam said slowly, and then in a last ditch effort to make up for bring up an obviously sore subject he asked, “How bout siblings?”

If possible Dustin face faltered once again at that and he was back to playing with Adam’s belt loops as he answered, “Tori and Shane were always kinda like my sister and brother.”

“I’ve had friend I’ve been that close with too.”

Dustin finally gave him a hesitant smile. Unable to resist Adam kissed his nose, then his lips before he asked, “So subject change?”

“Like duh, Dude.”

“Motocross, huh?”


	5. Chapter 5

Adam glanced at the clock when someone knocked at the door. Tommy and Hayley weren’t due to pick him and Dustin up for another half hour so it couldn’t be them. He looked towards the bathroom with a frown, he could still hear the shower running. Whoever it was knocked again. Adam smiled at his own uneasiness over opening a door that wasn’t his. The brunette blinked at him a moment before she lowered the hand she had posed to knock.

“Hi,” Adam prompted as he attempted to give her a charming smile. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Dustin’s friends.

As she stepped inside she gave him an annoyed look and asked, “You’re him?”

Confused to what he could’ve done to offend her Adam shrugged, “I guess, depends on what you mean by him?”

“The idiot who’s trying to date Dustin,” she clarified as she crossed her arms and gave him a challenging look. Before he had a chance to answer there was a startled noise behind them and a slamming door. Her eyes widened.

“He was naked, wasn’t he?” Adam asked trying not to laugh at the startled look on her face. He was surprised at his own ease with Dustin’s unconsciousness about being naked.

She nodded, “I think I need to sit down.”

As she moved toward the couch she paused suddenly and turned to him, brightened and held out a hand, “I’m Marah.”

Surprised by her sudden change in demeanor Adam shook her hand, “Adam Park.”

Wait, Marah was his friend that had been evil.

“Hi,” she smiled.

“Hi,” he answered back.

“Out,” Dustin told her, coming out of the bathroom in only a towel.

“What?” Marah asked eyes full of faux innocence as she dropped onto his couch.

Dustin ran a frustrated hand through his damp hair, “Was it Tori or Shane?”

“Oh please, like there isn’t a vapid rumor mill at,” she paused awkwardly before she finished, “school.”

Dustin crossed his arms and gave her a scowl.

“Okay, okay, it was Tori.”

“Marah, you need to go home,” Dustin told her firmly.

“But,” she pouted, “I’ve never been to the zoo before.”

“Marah,” Dustin complained.

“What?”

“Dude, I like can’t believe she did this,” Dustin muttered as he dropped onto the couch beside Marah.

Marah’s cheeks reddened even as she told him, “Like I didn’t meet your last mistake.”

“Dude, that like doesn’t give you the right…to like come in here and…”

“Ah, Dustin,” Adam interrupted as Dustin paused with a frown.

Dustin blinked up at him, “Yeah Dude?”

“Clothes,” he reminded.

Dustin looked down, “Oh, yeah. Be right back.”

As soon as the bedroom door closed Marah told him, “Thanks.”

Adam nodded and sat down in a nearby chair. He’d have rather retreated to the bedroom behind Dustin, but he couldn’t exactly leave Marah sitting out here alone.

“So,” Marah ventured, “how long have you like been the jealous controlling type?”

Adam could almost feel his mind stutter to a halt at her question, “What?”

“Or are you a user?” she continued all hints of friendliness gone.

“I’m not,” Adam said carefully as he attempted to keep his voice from showing how offended he was, “Look, I know from what’s been said that Dustin doesn’t have the best dating history, but…”

She leaned forward, “The only two people he’s dated that weren’t complete losers were Hunter and RJ and I like so totally doubt you have the connections that they do, or did, or will, but like…Oh, what was I trying to say?”

“I’m not sure,” Adam admitted, calmed as he realized she was only trying to protect her friend, “I think you trying to get to the threatening me if I hurt him part.”

“Oh,” Marah brightened then frowned, “No, I don’t think we’d gotten to that part yet.”

Adam couldn’t help himself, he smiled. She’s started to smile back when Dustin came out of his room. Her look quickly shifted back to trying to look innocent.

“You’re not going,” Dustin announced as he dropped down beside her, “So you can go home and dude, tell Tori it’s just sex and she should like not like…dude stop looking at me like that, you’re going home.”

Adam sat back in his chair stunned. Just sex? How could Dustin think that it was just sex? Maybe he should leave, maybe…

Marah crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, “Oh please, they didn’t fall for that and like neither am I. I’m not stupid.”

Dustin crossed his arms and gave her a scowl even as he responded, “Dude.”

“If the thing between you and RJ, which was destined to crash and burn from the moment you two laid eyes on each other wasn’t a just sex thing, which I’ll like admit had a healthy amount of lust tied into it, then you don’t do just sex,” Marah informed him.

“But…but,” Dustin protested, “getting you to believe that is the only way to get you to leave.”

Adam pressed his lips together, trying hard not to laugh. Now that he understood what Dustin had been trying to do he felt reassured, but the look of indignation on Dustin’s face was too much.

“Dude,” Dustin complained.

Adam couldn’t take it anymore, he started laughing. He covered his mouth, trying to stop. Dustin turned to blink at him, “Dude, no…she’s not coming.”

Adam used both hands to cover his mouth.

Marah poked Dustin, “I think you like broke your boyfriend.”

Dustin gave Marah’s a stubborn glare, “You’re not coming.”

“I so am.”

Dustin’s eyes narrowed.

“How do you expect me to get home?” Marah asked eyes wide before she looked towards Adam then back at Dustin, obviously trying to relay something there. That was the push Adam needed to stop laughing, he didn’t understand that look.

Dustin glanced at him, worry coloring his expression.

“Sorry,” Adam managed.

“Huh, dude?” Dustin asked.

Adam shook his head.

“Look Marah,” Dustin started as he stood, then stopped, “Look you can….you like have to…”

“I can what?” Marah asked.

“Okay, okay, but that means we have to take my bike and you so have to be nice.”

“Oh goody!” Marah said hopping up and clapping her hands, “This is going to be so much fun.”

“Dude,” Dustin complained as he collapsed into Adam’s lap, “Like sorry, dude.”

Adam gave Dustin’s cheek a kiss and ran a hand into his curls, “It’ll work out.”

“Dude, I like really hope you’re right,” Dustin told him before giving him a kiss.

“If I didn’t know your history Dustin I’d almost think that was cute,” Marah informed him. Inwardly Adam groaned, today was supposed to be fun and now it felt as though it was going to be long, very long.

There was a knock on the door. Relieved at the interruption Adam glanced at the clock, then frowned, “That can’t be Tommy and Hayley.”

Dustin looked at him confused, “Hayley’s always early. She forces everyone around her to be like early too.”

Adam gave him a skeptical look, “But it’s Tommy.”

As Dustin headed for the door Marah informed Adam, “Dustin’s always late too, but Hayley forces them to be on time.”

“Not just on time,” Tommy put in, “but sometimes early.”

“Occasionally,” Hayley smirked, “When I get pushy.”

Tommy shrugged in response then gave Marah a confusing look, “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Last minute invite,” Marah grinned as she peeked at Kaley.

With a roll of her eyes Hayley handed Marah the carrier, “Here.”

Dustin crossed his arms and gave Marah a glare as he told her, “Yeah, from Tori.”

That look made Adam pause, it reminded him of the look nearly every yellow he’d ever met somehow seemed to have when they were pissed about something. They always seemed to managed that exact same glare. With a shake of his head Adam wrote it off as just weirdness and him reacting to how much yellow Dustin seemed to wear.

Marah set Kaley’s carrier down and cooed at her happily before sighing, “She’s so cute.”

“Thanks,” Tommy nodded as he gave both Dustin and Adam a confused look.

Then Marah turned to Dustin, giving him a pointed look and asked, “Don’t you just want one?”

Adam frowned, stood and crossed his arms. He almost couldn’t believe she’d just implied what she had in front of him. Today really was going to be long.

Dustin blinked, “Huh? Ah…dude. Um like ah half the greatness of being a teacher is you get to give them back at the end of the day. And like dude do you see where I live? A one bedroom apartment is like so not a good place for me and a kid.”

Marah frowned at him. Dustin’s face furrowed in confusion. Hayley rolled her eyes and cut in, “It’s a good thing you showed up.”

“It is?” Marah asked, the confusion evident in her tone.

“Yes, it is,” Hayley smiled as Dustin stole Kaley away from Marah. She paused to shake her head before she continued, “You can push the stroller while the rest of us do the couples thing.”

Adam gave Hayley a grateful look. Hayley rolled her eyes and gave Marah an exasperated one.

“I can?” Marah asked, nose wrinkling at the idea.

“Yes,” Hayley smiled, “you can and you will.”

Before Marah could formulate a reply Dustin turned to Tommy with a confused look on his face, “Dude, she’s wearing red again, that’s like the fourth time this week. You like might want to be careful, you could be color coding her.”

Color coding? Adam’s eyes widened slightly, had Dustin just said that? Did he understand what he was implying? Could Dustin be…no, Tommy would’ve said something.

Hayley snatched the carrier away from Dustin and shoved her at Marah. Once her daughter was secured in the other woman’s arms she told her, “Take her outside. Put her in her car seat, we’ll join you in a few.”

From Hayley’s tone it was clear not to argue and Marah headed straight for the door. Hayley turned on Dustin next. She barely paused to take the startled look on his face, “You have your cell?”

“It’s in my side pocket,” Dustin said, face still furrowed in confusion.

“You’re wallet?”

“My back pocket.”

“Do you have enough money to pay Marah’s way? You know she isn’t going to pay for herself,” Hayley concluded.

“Dude,” Dustin exclaimed before he spun around and headed back to his bedroom. Adam wasn’t sure what to say as Tommy gave him a pleading look. The only thing he was certain of was that Hayley wouldn’t have gotten rid of Dustin if he was a ranger, would she? Also he wasn’t sure he wanted to see Hayley and Tommy fight, but it’d be rude to follow Dustin as he was rooting out his money and he really didn’t want to go out to the car and be forced to make polite conversation with Marah. Adam was stuck.

Hayley turned on Tommy next, “Red? I know I didn’t dress her in red four times this week.”

“I changed her into it,” Tommy admitted.

Hayley crossed her arms and glared, “She’s a little young to be encouraged to follow in your footsteps.”

Tommy’s face darkened and then he took a deep breath, “She cries less when she’s in red. It’s not anything more than that.”

“Not anything more?” Hayley hissed back.

“She cries less,” Tommy defended, “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

Hayley rubbed the bridge of her nose in agitation, “I don’t want to notice. It worries me.”

“Hey,” Tommy soothed as he pulled her into his arms and began rubbing her back, “You’re right, she’s too young. It’s just something that is right now.”

“It’d better be,” Hayley grumbled as she leaned into Tommy. Tommy whispered something in her ear and she smiled. Adam shifted uncomfortably and glanced towards Dustin’s bedroom.

Thankfully at that moment Dustin joined them, “So dudes are we headed out?”

“Yes, we are,” Hayley decided.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at the zoon Hayley grabbed a map. As she studied it she smirked, “Okay, I know what bird brain wants to see. What about the rest of you?”

“Hey,” Tommy protested.

Hayley gave him a fond smile even as she teased, “But it explains so much.”

Tommy laughed, “Really, you think so?”

“I know so,” Hayley told him as they shared a smile.

Both Marah and Dustin were regarding the two with tilted heads and confused looks. Then they realized they wore the same expression and they gave each other a glare. Marah seemed to catch herself and her glare turned into a hesitant smile. Dustin’s face disintegrated into a frown and Adam couldn’t help but step in closer to Dustin.

“I like bugs,” Marah put in with a another smile to Dustin.

“So the butterfly house for Marah,” Hayley nodded before she glanced at Dustin.

Dustin scratched his head with a frown, “Um…lions are cool?”

Hayley glanced at her map again, “Lions, got it. Adam, amphibian house for you?”

Adam shrugged. Dustin wrapped an arm around him, resting his chin on Adam’s shoulder, “Dude, you’re blushing.”

He gave Dustin a sideways glance and got a kiss on his cheek for it. Then Dustin’s fingers threaded through his. Adam squeezed his hand as he noticed the glare Marah had settled on him. He resisted the urge to glare back.

“Since you obviously know us so well,” Tommy asked Hayley, “What do you want to see?”

Hayley contemplated her map. She gave her husband another smirk, “I’m thinking primates. I’d like to see some of your relatives.”

“Mine?” Tommy laughed as he looped an arm around her shoulder, “No, those are Rocky’s.”

“You have a point there,” Hayley agreed as Adam chuckled with a shake of his head.

Marah and Dustin exchanged another confused look before Dustin pointed out, “Dude, you lost us.”

Hayley laughed, leaning into her husband as she did so. She handed the stroller over to Marah and showed them the direction to go. They wandered half the perimeter of the zoo before working their way inward first, taking in the birds along with polar bears, seals, and wolfs.

The primate house was next to the amphibian house and they mutually agreed to go through them before stopping for lunch. By that time Adam was almost eager for the day to be over. Every time she saw found something ‘adorable’ or ‘cute’ Marah had used it as an excuse to touch Dustin and point it out to him. At times she had been all but hanging off of him. Adam was quickly losing his patience and was about ready to put his foot down, especially since it was obvious that Dustin was becoming increasingly confused and agitated by the attention. Unfortunately the primates only seemed to over Marah more to squeal about.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Dustin was at his wits end. Thankfully when they hit the amphibian house Adam had announced that they were going on ahead of the rest of them. Dustin was also almost certain he’d heard Hayley telling Adam that she and Tommy would distract Marah with their camera.

When they got outside well ahead of the rest of their group Dustin perched himself on the nearest cross post of a fence with a laugh, “I never realized there were so many deadly types of frogs.”

“Yeah well,” Adam shrugged, “they may be small, but you don’t want to underestimate them.”

Dustin nodded, thinking about the monster that had covered Blake with tadpoles. He shook the memory off and smiled at Adam, wrapping his arms around the slightly shorter man and pulling him into a lazy kiss. He grinned into the kiss when Adam’s arms wrapped around him.

Adam pulled away, sighed and cupped his face. Dustin looked down, “Look, I’m sorry about Marah. I don’t what’s gotten like into her. She hasn’t been interested in me in years.”

Adam nodded, but never got to respond. Hayley interrupted, “So, lunch?”

Thankfully the path Hayley had sent them on had looped them back to the front of the zoo where there were picnic tables and several vendors selling different types of lunches. Dustin got Adam to agree to let him pay for lunch since he was already paying for Marah’s, and especially since Adam had insisted on covering their ticket costs. They got the girl’s orders and were about to head up to get food when Hayley grabbed him by the arm.

“Tommy and Adam can handle getting the food, give your money to him and stay here with me,” she told him. Knowing not to argue with Hayley, especially since she had the particular gleam in her eye, Dustin handed his money over and sat down. Dustin watched at Adam and Tommy walked away before he glanced over at Marah who was looking smug.

Hayley smiled down at Kaley before she unbuttoned the top button of her shirt. She lifted her daughter towards her, “I bet you’re just hungry, aren’t you?”

“Oh look,” Marah exclaimed as she made a hasty retreat over to them, “statues!”

Hayley smirked as Dustin pulled the bottle out of the diaper bag and handed it to her. He rested his chin in his hands and sighed, “Dude.”

“You could’ve had her, you know,” Hayley pointed out as she began to feed Kaley.

Dustin’s frowned, “No, I couldn’t.”

Hayley raised an eyebrow.

“I was her sensei and despite everything that had happened before I wasn’t going to step over that line, no matter how interested she was,” he explained before he smiled, “Besides I started dating Hunter shortly after the mission was over.”

“And after you and Hunter didn’t work out?” she questioned.

Dustin shrugged, “We’re both earths. I’ve seen two earths date before. It’s almost as bad as when two airs date. A like total disaster of the can’t decide what to actually do type.”

“So how you and RJ would go ten rounds of ‘so what do you want to do now?’ before you decided to just stay in?” she questioned.

Dustin smiled faintly at those memories, “ Yeah, something like that and besides I wasn’t about to head into something I knew would crash and burn like Hunter and I had.”

Hayley nodded at that, “It’s just good to hear you finally reason these things out.”

Dustin nodded his gaze shifting to Adam. He smiled as he went to go help with trays. As they settled them down he went to go get Marah. Adam took his hand and tagged along.

Tommy flopped down next to Hayley with a sigh, “Well that was interesting.”

“I told you he wasn’t interested in her,” Hayley said as he unwrapped her straw and put it in her drink for her.

Tommy shrugged, “She had me worried.”

“Dustin will take care of it when he’s ready,” she reassured before she fixed him with a serious look, “You on the other hand need to tell them about their pasts.”

Tommy’s brow furrowed in confusion, “Want to run that by me again?”

“Neither of them realize that they’re both former rangers,” she whispered after she’d look around to make sure no one would overhear.

Tommy blinked, “They don’t?”

“No, they don’t.”

“Nah, I’m sure Adam has figured it out by now,” Tommy laughed.

Hayley shook her head at her husband delusion, “It’s not something you just go around telling.”

“But…” Tommy started and stopped to stare at his two friends as everyone found seats at the table they’d claimed. He and Hayley exchanged a look that meant they’d talk about it later as he took Kaley so he could burp her, giving Hayley a chance to eat.

After lunch they took in the other half of the zoo, making sure to see the lions, giraffes and the elephants. Lastly they stopped at the butterfly house. It was almost oppressively warm inside, and only one group of people could enter as one left. The paths in the house wound through several sections of various plants where butterflies were visibly resting in them.

“Oh look at that one,” Marah sighed as she leaned into Dustin side to point out one with blue wings. Dustin blinked down at the hand he had linked with Adam then turned to look at her. He let go of Adam’s hand and bustled her to the side.

“Stop it,” he told her.

“Stop what?” she pouted.

“Look Marah I don’t know what Tori told you, but just lay off,” he all but growled.

She frowned a hurt look up at him. Dustin sighed, “We’re friends right?”

“Right,” she admitted.

“Then why are you…?” he trialed off at a loss.

“Being silly?” she finished.

Dustin frowned, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but not wanting to encourage her either. Marah shook herself and glanced over at a butterfly that was eating, “I’m sorry.”

Dustin nodded and was relieved when it put an end to Marah’s over flirty behavior. Of course that didn’t help when they got back to his apartment and Marah made it clear she wasn’t just going to Ninja Streak home and Adam was beginning to question how Marah had actually gotten there. Sure his secret identity was about to somehow come out he jumped when someone knocked at the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~

While Adam was grateful that Dustin had gotten Marah to stop clinging to him, he was not looking forward to seeing her spend the night. She seemed to have settled herself onto the couch. He was discovering that she was pleasant enough when she wasn’t trying to protect her friend or throw herself at his boyfriend, but enough was enough already. How had she gotten here anyway? It was obvious she didn’t own a car.

Dustin groaned in response to the knock on the door, “Now what?”

“No idea,” Adam sighed as he dropped into the nearest chair.

His eyebrows rose at Dustin’s exclamation of joy and the fact that he threw himself at whoever was standing in the doorway, “Cam!”

“I just came to pick up my cousin, you don’t need to accosted me.”

Marah’s eyes widened at the sudden flurry of whispering between the two. Adam frowned and made his way over. Dustin turned to grin at him, “Cam this is Adam. Adam, Cam.”

“Hi,” he greeted taking and shaking the proffered hand.

Cam nodded, “Like I said, I’m just here to pick up my cousin.”

Adam looked at Cam then glanced at Marah. He frowned confused, “You’re cousins?”

Wait, hadn’t Marah gotten to Earth by being the lackey of Lothor, who’d come from space? What wasn’t Dustin telling him? Marah was a former villain gone good and Cam was her cousin? Or was it more likely that Cam was a former ranger keeping an eye on her? Wait if…

“Through marriage,” Cam reassured.

“Oh,” Adam nodded as his mind still raced.

Dustin snapped his fingers, “Oh dude, I have something for you to give to Hunter.”

As Dustin went to go get the trophy Marah approached slowly. She waved at Cam. Cam rolled his eyes. She turned to Adam and tilted her head, “You know I think I might actually like you.”

“What?” Adam asked.

Marah nodded, then smiled as Dustin joined them handing the trophy over to Cam. Dustin took in Marah’s look, “What?”

She patted Adam’s shoulder, “This one’s a keeper.”

That said she headed out to Cam’s car. Cam suppressed a laugh and shook his head. Dustin pulled him into another hug with a frantic thank you before he agreed to stop by to help Cam with something later that week. As soon as the two had driven off Dustin collapsed against his now firmly shut and locked door, “She’s gone.”

“Yeah, but at least I’m a keeper,” Adam pointed out as he looked Dustin over taking in the yellow, remembering the ‘yellow look’ he’d seen Dustin wear more than once that day. Actually it was the look Dustin had on his face at the moment.

“Tori is so dead,” Dustin growled as he headed for the phone and dialed.

Adam pulled Dustin into a searing kiss, testing his theory. Dustin returned the kiss until someone picked up the phone, “Hello.”

“Can’t talk, distracted,” Dustin told her, “Will yell at you later.”

That said he hung up the phone and pulled Adam back into kissing. No, he was defiantly wrong, Adam decided. No yellow he knew was that easily distracted from their anger.


End file.
